Pink Martini - Hang On Little Tomato - Heinz Records

Tangos and cha-chas. Smoky, jazzy French love songs, film-noir orchestrations and Cuban dance music. Welcome to the post-lounge vibe of Pink Martini, the Portland, Oregon based collective orchestra. Vocalist and songwriter China Forbes and classically-trained pianist Thomas Lauderdale formed Pink Martini in 1994. Since then they’ve been winning over the hearts and minds of music lovers since their 1997 debut album, Sympathique.

Hang On Little Tomato, Pink Martini’s second album, is an exquisite, exotic collection of wondrous music. Think Buena Vista Social Club, Chet Baker, Yma Sumac, the loungey swing of Combustible Edison and Juan Esquivel. These names are mere touchstones for a group that is rethinking the concept of musical multiculturalism. Hang On Little Tomato, is more than a reworking of the band’s influences; it is a voice of musical sophistication filled with fun, tenderness and musical virtuosity.

Songs like “Clementine,” “Let’s Never Stop Falling In Love,” “Anna,” and “Lilly,” evoke a sound and vision that transports the listener to a thoroughly modern world. Hang On Little Tomato, is a wonderful, wide-eyed musical experience.